I Love It When A Plan Comes Together
by liggytheauthoress
Summary: Amy seeks out the team's help when her family's ranch is in trouble. During the mission, she and Face slowly begin to realize their feelings for each other...  crappy summary, sorry  Read and review, please!
1. An Unpleasant Encounter

**INTRO: Okay, this is my first attempt at a legitimate A-Team fic, and I'm super-nervous, so be kind...**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the A-Team, but I do own the characters of Gavin, Sickle, and Jonas, plus Amy's family.**

**1**

26 year-old part-time newspaper reporter and former A-Team member Amy Amanda Allen half-laughed, half-groaned as her eleven year-old brother, Nicky, told a knock-knock joke he had been intermittently repeating for the past half hour. "Don't you know any more jokes, Nicky?"

"Mmm… No. I mean, I've heard lots, but I can't remember any."

"Give it a rest, huh?"

"'Kay. Where're we goin', anyway?"

They were on the outskirts of Louisville, Kentucky. Amy's father, John, had received a call about an injured foal being seen along one of the roads. John Allen was reknowned through the area for his equine veterinary work, and he had been asked to collect the foal and take a look at it. John was busy that day, so he'd sent Amy. Nicky, of course, had begged to come along.

"Somebody saw a foal along the road. They said it was hurt, and wanted Dad to take a look at it," Amy explained, turning the pickup truck onto a thin dirt road. "They said it was somewhere up around here." To herself, she thought, _I hope we don't run into any of Gavin's men …_

Amy spotted a small, still form on the side of the road. The foal. She stopped the truck and got out.

She was bending over the foal, in order to examine it, when another pickup pulled up, almost rear-ending the trailer attached to the Allens' truck. Amy recognized the logo on the door – "Mark Gavin Stables".

Two of Gavin's foremen stepped out of the truck. Amy recognized them. Tony Sickle and Sam Jonas – one was an ex-boxer, the other was a streetfighter. She hoped there wouldn't be any violence…

"Well, well, well, Sam," Sickle remarked. "Lookee here. And here we was expectin' Johnny Allen himself. But he's sent his pretty daughter, instead."

Nicky had gotten out of the truck and come over to where Amy stood rigidly. "Amy, can we go home? I'm scared."

"Aw, ain't nothin' to be scared about, sonny," said Jonas.

"What do you want?" Amy asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"We just wanna… have a little talk." Sickle took a couple steps forward, and Amy moved protectively in front of Nicky. "See, Mr. Gavin ain't too happy with your daddy."

"And we was sent here to teach him a little lesson. Only he ain't here. Whaddya think we oughta do 'bout that, Tony?"

Sickle gave a menacing grin. "Let's see how cooperative Allen is when you've been roughed up a little."

Quietly, Amy said, "Nicky, get back in the truck."

"Why?"

"Just do what I tell you. Get in the truck."

Neither Sickle nor Jonas moved as Nicky walked back to the truck and got inside. Amy tensed, getting ready to run.

She made a dash for the truck, but Jonas grabbed her shoulders and shoved her onto the ground. She hit the road, rolling a couple of feet, but jumped back up again.

Jonas and Sickle were between her and the truck.

Gritting her teeth, Amy feinted running to the left, then raced past Jonas and Sickle as they moved in that direction. She reached the truck door, but Sickle was right behind her. He pushed her into the truck. Her arm went straight through the closed window. Amy let out a little cry as shards of glass pierced her skin.

Sickle raised his fist and landed a blow on the left side of Amy's face, hitting her directly in the eye. Amy sank to her knees, dizzy and disoriented. She heard Sickle and Jonas laughing, and then one of them said, "That oughta do it for now." A minute later, their truck roared away, covering Amy with dust as they sped past.

Nicky got out of the truck and ran to his sister. "Amy? Amy, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Nicky," Amy said, giving him a one-armed hug. She watched Jonas and Sickle's truck disappear from sight, and sighed. "We're going to need some help.


	2. Hiring the Team

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the A-Team. Life sucks.**

**-Please review - I love getting them and I promise, I don't bite-**

**2**

Amy took a deep breath as she pulled up to the sidewalk and parked her car. She wrinkled her nose – after living in Kentucky for two years, the dirty Los Angeles air was going to take some getting used to again.

She looked at the building in front of her, took another deep breath, and walked into the Chinese laundry that she had never thought she'd see again.

The front room was empty. Amy called, "Mr. Li?"

An elderly Chinese man came out of the office, saw Amy, and stopped short. "Amy?" he said, sounding shocked.

Amy grinned at him. "Hey, Hannibal," she said. "It's been a long time."

The man pulled off his Chinese disguise and came over, giving Amy a huge hug. "Good to see you again, kiddo. Where'd you get that black eye?"

"Oh." Amy fingered her left eye. "Um, that's nothing, really. Look, I… I need to hire the team."

Hannibal raised an eyebrow. "Another one of your reporter friends go missing?"

"No, no, it's nothing like that. It's for my dad, actually. See, he owns a ranch in Louisville. He's doing pretty well. But there's this guy – Mark Gavin. Owns a big racing stable. He keeps losing customers to my dad, and it's kind of ticked him off." She managed to smile. "My dad's quite proud of himself, actually."

Solemnly, Hannibal said, "Well, I'll have to talk to the rest of the team – standard procedure, you know…"

"I know," Amy said.

"But I doubt they'll have any problems with helping you out."

"Thanks, Hannibal." She handed him a piece of paper. "This is the hotel I'm staying at – you can contact me there."

"You got it, kiddo."

* * *

><p>Hannibal strode into Face's apartment. Face and B.A. were sitting on the couch, watching a wrestling match on TV. B.A. was cheering loudly for one of the wrestlers, while Face looked very annoyed.<p>

"Hey, guys, we've got a client," Hannibal announced. "In Louisville, Kentucky."

"Aw, Hannibal, we just got back from that operation in Kenya," Face complained. "Can't it wait until we rest a bit?"

"No, it can't. I told her you guys wouldn't mind helping her out."

"Helping who?" B.A. asked.

"Amy."

There was complete silence in the room. Face stared at Hannibal in disbelief. "Amy? _Our_ Amy?"

"Yep. That Amy. Seems her father's in a bit of a tight spot, so she came to us. I said I'd ask you guys before agreeing to help." He paused. "She's counting on us."

B.A. immediately said, "Ain't no way I'm not helpin' Amy out. Count me in, Hannibal."

"Face?"

The lieutenant was silent for a long time. Finally, he said, "Count me in, too. If Amy's in trouble, I – er, we – need to help her."

Hannibal gave Face a questioning look, but nodded. "That settles it, then. Face, you'll need to spring Murdock."

* * *

><p>Face strode up to the nurse at the front desk and flashed her a smile. "Good afternoon. I'm Doctor Spengler. I'm here to collect one of your patients."<p>

"Which patient, doctor?"

"A Mr. Murdock."

"Oh…Why do you need him?"

"Well, you see, I'm his mother's personal physician, and I'm afraid Mrs. Murdock has been taken ill." In a hushed voice, Face said, "She isn't expected to live through the week." His voice returning to normal, he added, "It would be a great comfort to have her son by her side."

"Of course, doctor. Right this way."

Face smiled and thought, _Piece of cake._


	3. Reunion

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks so much for the reviews - I love getting feedback and I like to know that people are enjoying the story :)**

**DISCLAIMER: *mutters* Don't own The A-Team. My life is unfair.**

**3**

"So, what's the scoop on our new mission, _compadre_?" Murdock asked, slouching in the passenger seat of Face's Corvette. "Who we helpin' out this time?"

"Uh…Amy."

Murdock's face lit up. "Amy? Triple A? No kidding! It's been, what, two years?"

"Two years, three months, and six days." Face rattled off the numbers before he could stop himself. "Uh, not that I've been keeping track."

"Yeah, you ain't been keepin' track. Just like I ain't crazy. If your feelings were any easier to see, they'd be sixty feet high and glowin' like a neon sign."

"Feelings? I have no idea what you're talking about, Murdock…" Face trailed off as he spotted the team's van. He parked his 'Vette behind it, took a deep breath, and got out. Murdock jumped out of the car without bothering to open the door.

The van door slid open. Hannibal got out, then B.A., then . . . Amy.

She hadn't changed at all since Face had last seen her. She still had the same shoulder-length hazel hair, the same bright brown eyes and playful expression. Face noticed that she had a black eye. His jaw tightened as he wondered who was responsible for that.

Amy saw that Face hadn't changed either. His light blue eyes and light brown hair were exactly the same. He was just as handsome as ever.

In that instant, both Face and Amy felt as though something inside them, some strange, empty void, had been filled.

They stared at each other for a long time. Finally, Amy broke the awkward silence. "Hi, Face."

"Hey, Amy."

"Been a long time."

Murdock skipped over and enfolded Amy in a bear hug. "Triple A! Long time, no see!"

"Great to see you again, Murdock," Amy said with a grin. "It's great to see _all_ of you again. I really need your help, guys. I'll explain everything on the way to the airport."

Face was astonished when B.A. didn't object to going by plane. But he realized he shouldn't be surprised. B.A. – like the rest of the team – would do anything to help Amy. When she had left, it had depressed all of them. Even Murdock had not been his old, zany self for a while.

And now she was back.

Face smiled to himself as he climbed into the van and closed the door behind him.

* * *

><p>Amy tried to avoid looking in Face's direction as they drove towards the airport. She finished explaining her problem with Mark Gavin by saying, "Really, if it was just my parents and me, I think we could handle it on our own. But I don't want Nicky put in danger …"<p>

"Sounds like we need to teach this Gavin creep a lesson," said B.A., smacking his fist on the palm of his other hand. "I'm lookin' forward to that."

Amy smiled. She had known that she could count on the team to help her. She had missed them so much. She had missed Hannibal's quirky habits – the cigars he always smoked, the gloves he never took off, his odd sayings and his unusual way of dealing with problems. She had missed B.A.'s tough attitude and his hidden soft side that few people ever saw. She had missed Murdock's incoherence and the way she never knew what he was going to do or be next.

And she had missed Face.

Oh, how she had missed Face.

She had missed the way she could always talk to him. Talking always came so easily when he was around. She had missed his love of the more expensive things in life, be it cars, clothes, or restaurants. Face was so dependable in any situation, Amy would have no qualms about placing her very life in his hands, because she knew that he always came through for his friends.

The only thing she found she hadn't missed about Face was his constant womanizing. Although she had come to accept that skirt-chasing was just part of who Face was, she always felt an inexplicable twinge of envy whenever she saw him with a new flame. He had never once asked _her_ out on a date, never _once_ tried to kiss her or treat her as anything more than a friend. Was she not good enough for him?

Amy brushed the notion out of her mind. It didn't matter if Face was madly in love with her or not. The only thing that mattered was the fact that she had gotten the A-Team. She was with her old friends, and they were going to help her stop Gavin.


	4. Arrival in Kentucky

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: THANK YOU ALL FOR THE REVIEWS.**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own the A-Team (although I DO own Amy's family...I guess that's something...)**

**4**

"I think I'm really gonna like this mission," Murdock remarked as they left the Louisville airport. "Fresh air, wide-open spaces, and _horses!_"

Amy grinned at him. "I didn't know you liked horses, Murdock."

"Me? Like horses? I love 'em, an' they love me. We gotta kind've, I dunno, bond, horses an' me."

B.A. – who had been in a bad mood for the entire plane ride – gave an irritated growl. Amy laughed.

Face's eyes seemed to be almost magnetically drawn to her. He found himself loving the way her hair caught the early afternoon sun and how her eyes lit up when she smiled or laughed.

Amy felt someone staring at her and glanced over at Face, who quickly looked away. She sighed inwardly. How could Face be so easy to read and so enigmatic at the same time?

A tall, middle-aged man that greatly resembled Amy was striding through the crowd towards the team. Amy broke away from the group and ran over to embrace the man. "Hi, Dad," she said.

"You weren't gone long, hon," the man remarked. "You said you'd probably be in California for a week or so."

She shrugged. "Things went more smoothly than I thought they would." As the team reached them, she said, "Dad, these are the friends I told you about."

Hannibal shook hands with Amy's father. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Allen."

"Call me John,"Amy's father said, smiling broadly. "Amy has told me so much about all of you." He lowered his voice. "Including the fact that you're, uh, on the run from the military. Please believe me when I say that I would never turn you in."

Hannibal nodded and gave him a grateful smile. There was a moment of silence, then John Allen said, "Well, shall we get back to the ranch? I imagine you're all pretty hungry, and Mrs. Allen's got a big lunch all fixed up and ready for you."

"Sounds great. B.A. and I will go get the van – we had it flown over in the cargo hold," said Hannibal.

As Hannibal and B.A. disappeared through into the throng of people, Amy hugged her father again and asked, "Anything happen while I was gone?"

"No, Gavin's laying low for the moment. How's your arm?"

Amy unconsciously rubbed her right arm. She was wearing long sleeves, but Face could make out the tip of a large gauze bandage. His hands reflexively clenched into fists. Whoever had done this to Amy was going to pay. He'd make sure of that.

The Allen ranch was small, but well-organized and tidy, and fairly successful-looking. There were three large white barns near the house, and about a dozen horses were grazing in the two large pastures.

B.A. followed John Allen's old station wagon up the dirt lane leading between the pastures. Hannibal sat in the passenger seat, idly smoking a cigar. Face sat in his usual spot, and Murdock was sprawled out in the back, thumbing through an issue of _Horse Illustrated_.

The station wagon and the van pulled up in front of the house, and the occupants of both vehicles got out.

A young boy came running out of the house. "Amy! Amy!"

Amy smiled as her little brother hurtled into her arms. "You're back!" Nicky cried excitedly as he hugged his sister. "I really missed you."

"I missed you, too, squirt," Amy said, tousling Nicky's hair.

Nicky looked past his sister's shoulder at the A-Team, a curious expression on his face. "Who are you?"

Once the introductions were over, Mr. Allen and his children led the team into the farmhouse, where they met Amy's mother, Lorraine, and they all went through the introductions again. Everyone sat down for a late lunch, and John Allen explained the Mark Gavin situation in greater detail. "He's been harassing us for months, but we've been able to deal with it. But everything came to a head about two weeks ago."

"Dad…" Amy gave him a pleading look. "Will you let that go? It wasn't that bad…"

"Amy, you were _attacked_," Mr. Allen said.

Four pairs of eyes turned towards Amy as the A-Team gave her questioning stares. She exhaled in exasperation. " 'Attacked' is a strong word. It was a little scuffle. It's how I got my black eye. And, um, this." She pulled back her sleeve to reveal several bandages. "My, uh, arm went through the truck window."

Face struggled to keep his voice calm. "Why didn't you tell us before?"

"Because it wasn't important. I'm fine, honestly. Like I said, the real reason I wanted your help was because of Nicky."

"Aw, c'mon, Amy, I can take care of myself," Nicky said.

Amy rubbed his shoulder. "Nicky, I'd die if Gavin hurt you." She smiled at Face. "But now that the A-Team is here, we're going to stop Gavin once and for all."


	5. Feelings

**DISCLAIMER: Yeah, yeah, yeah, don't own the A-Team, whatever...**

**5**

That night, Face stood outside, leaning against a pasture fence and gazing up at the stars. His thoughts were centered around just one person: Amy Amanda Allen.

He had forgotten how much he missed her, how much he missed talking with her, listening to her laugh, watching her interact with the other members of the team. It had broken Face's heart when she left. He thought back to that day…

_The five of them had been sitting around the table in Face's apartment, just back from a mission in Mexico. Amy had been abnormally quiet all day, and eventually, she dropped the bombshell._

_ "Guys, I… I'm leaving the team."_

_ Awkward silence._

_ "What, why?" Face asked._

_ She bit her lip. "It's my family. Business isn't doing so well for my parents' ranch, and they need my help. And I miss them, I haven't seen my parents or my brother in almost two years." She sighed. "I'm sorry, guys. But my family takes priority over everything else."_

_ "We understand, Amy," Hannibal said kindly, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "And we respect your decision. But, if you ever find yourself in L.A. again, be sure to look us up, huh?"_

_ Amy smiled. "Definitely."_

_ Later that day, Face and Amy had gone out to get some Chinese takeout for dinner. Things had been a little uncomfortable between them. "Are you sure about this, Amy?" Face asked, gripping the steering wheel of the Corvette a little harder than was necessary._

_ "Completely sure. It was a tough decision, but I know I've made the right choice." She hesitantly touched his arm. "I'm going to miss you. All of you."_

_ "I'll… We'll miss you, too."_

Face jumped as a twig snapped behind him. Turning, he saw Hannibal coming over. "Oh, hey, Hannibal."

"There you are. Everyone was wondering where you were. Anything wrong?"

"No," Face replied, a little too quickly to be convincing.

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Face, I'm good at reading pretty much everyone I meet, and you're exceptionally easy to understand. So I know that something is definitely bothering you."

"I'm fine, really."

Hannibal raised his eyebrows skeptically. "Face…"

"Look, I don't want to talk about it. I'm… I'm trying to figure something out right now, and I don't really want to discuss it with anyone until everything makes a little more sense. Okay?"

Hannibal nodded. "Okay. But if you ever do want to talk about it, let me know." He changed the subject. "Well, B.A. and I have been going over some battle plans. Tomorrow we're going to have a little fun with Mr. Mark Gavin."

Face saw the familiar playful twinkle in Hannibal's eyes and smiled knowingly. Whatever the Colonel had planned, they definitely _were_ going to have some fun with Gavin.


	6. Realization

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am legitimately thrilled that people actually like what is essentially my pathetic way of coping with the fact that this pairing isn't, y'know, canon...Gracias.**

**DISCLAIMER: Murdock threatened to sic Billy on me if I didn't say it, so...don't own the A-Team.**

**6**

Face awoke at dawn. He was disoriented for a minute – where was he?

Then he remembered. He was in one of the guest rooms in the Allen house. He glanced across the room at Murdock, who lay snoring in bed, an open copy of _Black Beauty _lying on his chest.

He stood up and stretched, and proceeded to get dressed. As he finished buttoning his flannel shirt, the smell of cooking bacon and eggs reached his nose. Stepping out into the hallway, Face followed the aroma to the kitchen.

The only other person in the room was Amy. She glanced up from the stove as Face came in. "Oh. Morning," she said, flashing him a warm smile that made his heart leap.

"Morning," he said, sitting down at the island. He took the cup of coffee that Amy proffered him and took a swig. He grinned at her. "Perfect, as always."

"I remembered just how you like it." She turned her back to him in order to tend to the food cooking on the stove. "Y'know, I haven't gotten the chance to really talk to you since I called in the team. How have you been?"

"Keeping busy, as always."

"I don't doubt that… I've been following the team's exploits in the news."

Face laughed. "Once a member of the A-Team, always a member."

"Yep." Amy took the food off the stove and sat down across from Face.

"We missed you. _I_ missed you."

Amy flushed and tried to avoid making eye contact. She was unsuccessful. One glance at Face's pale blue eyes and she couldn't turn away. Softly she said, "I missed you too, Face."

There was a long silence then, but it wasn't awkward. They just sat there, watching each other, connected by an unspoken bond. Eventually Face asked slowly, "So… have you been going out with anyone?"

"Not really. Between helping my folks out with the ranch and working for the town paper, I haven't really had the chance to meet guys, and none of the men around here have caught my eye anyway." Her eyes sparkled playfully. "I know this question is unnecessary, but have you been seeing anyone?"

Face laughed a little. "Not lately, actually. Last girl I dated turned out to be a sergeant in the military, working for Decker."

Amy grinned and they both laughed.

They looked up as Hannibal and Mr. Allen came into the kitchen, deep in talk. Mr. Allen kissed Amy on the forehead as he and the Colonel sat down. "You're up early," he remarked.

"I wanted to work with Samson some more." Amy caught Face and Hannibal's curious glances and explained, "Samson's the horse I've been training for the past few months." She finished her coffee and stood up. "I'll see you guys later."

Face found his gaze lingering on her as she left the kitchen. Through the window, he saw her jog lightly to the barn. He felt Hannibal staring at him and quickly turned away, clearing his throat. "So, Hannibal, what's the plan for today?"

Lighting a cigar, Hannibal said, "Allen here says that Gavin and most of his boys spend most afternoons at the bar Gavin's brother owns, _Lloyd's_. We're going to crash their party today."

Murdock came walking cheerfully into the kitchen, dressed in jeans, a denim shirt, his leather jacket, and a cowboy hat and cowboy boots. "Mornin', amigos," he said brightly. "Say, Mister Amy's dad, you wouldn't have any sugar cubes I could bring out to the horses, do ya?"

Mr. Allen laughed. "There's a jar in the tack room. Amy's out in the barn, she'll show you where they are."

"Thank ye, kindly." Murdock strode out of the kitchen, whistling the William Tell Overture.

"He's one of a kind," Mr. Allen said, shaking his head. "Amy talked about him a lot. She talked about all of you a lot, actually. I think she always sort've regretted leaving."

"She was a valuable member of the Team," Hannibal replied. "We missed her a lot when she left." Casting a sideways glance at Face, he added, "Some of us more than others."

Face pretended not to hear Hannibal and continued drinking his coffee.

* * *

><p>Face approached the outside arena and leaned against the fence. Amy was cantering around on a large, black stallion, controlling his movements with skilled concentration. Face was struck by how well she moved with the horse, how graceful she was. Her brown hair floated out behind her as she guided Samson over jumps and around poles.<p>

"Admirin' the scenery, _compadre_?" Murdock said, coming to stand behind Face.

"I just happen to find the whole horse-training process very…interesting," Face said slowly, not taking his eyes from Amy.

"Uh-huh." Murdock's voice conveyed a lack of conviction. "Y'know, Faceman, ya really shouldn't keep your feelings all bottled up, see? I mean, they tell us all the time at the V.A. to just let everythin' out instead of keepin' it hidden. It's therapeutic."

"Murdock, I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Sure ya don't. Face, I'm gonna say this plain and clear. You loved Amy two years ago and you still do. And you missed the chance to tell her that before, but you've gotten a second chance. You gotta tell her, and soon."

Face stared at Murdock in shock. "Murdock, that's…that's crazy. Even for you, that's a crazy thing to say. Amy…she's like a sister…I never…"

"Yeah. Right." Murdock rolled his eyes. "Well, I am crazy, that's true. But the truth can be crazy too."

The conversation was interrupted as Amy dismounted and led Samson over to where Face and Murdock were staring at each other. "Hey, guys," she said. "What do you think of Samson, Murdock?"

"He's purdy," Murdock said. "I think he likes me."

"Would you like to ride him?"

Murdock's eyes lit up like a little kid at Christmas. "Would I? Oh boy oh boy oh boy!" He jumped up and down before climbing nimbly up into the saddle. Amy handed him the reins and he clicked his tongue, leading Samson back into the arena. Face and Amy heard him start singing the Mr. Ed theme song.

"He hasn't changed at all," Amy remarked, leaning on the fence beside Face. The wind blew her hair in Face's direction, and he idly inhaled the scent of her shampoo. "So, what does Hannibal have planned?"

"He says we'll be paying a social call on Mr. Gavin later this afternoon," Face said with a smile.

"You guys are going to _Lloyd's_?"

"Yep."

"Be careful, then. Lloyd Gavin has about a dozen heavyweights in that bar at all times, most of them ex-cons, and Mark Gavin has his own estimable group of goons." She shook her head. "That man has no business owning a stable. He mistreats his horses almost as much as he mistreats people."

"Well, don't worry. He won't be in business much longer." He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and she smiled warmly at him.

Murdock came trotting over on Samson. As he dismounted, he said, "I think Samson here and I have established a real good relationship. I get him, he gets me."

"I can see that," Amy said. "Come on and help me put him away."

"My pleasure, Triple A."

Face watched the two of them lead Samson away. Amy was laughing at something Murdock was saying. Face could still smell the faintest trace of her shampoo…

_Murdock is right_, Face realized with a wave of shock. _I'm in love with her. I'm in love with Amy. _He shook his head in disbelief. _I always have been._

But how could he tell her that? She had her life here in Kentucky, he had his in California. Although if they took care of Gavin, maybe Mr. Allen's ranch could become more successful, he could hire more helpers…and Amy would be free to come back to Los Angeles.

But even if she did, could they have a relationship? With Face and the rest of the team on the run? The idea was absurd.

No, he couldn't tell her. It would be easier to just keep quiet. He and the rest of the Team would complete their mission and return of L.A. And Amy would remain with her family. Sooner or later she'd meet someone and get married, as Face would. Face would get over her…someday.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and headed back towards the ranch house.


	7. Putting the Plan Into Action

**A/N: I don't think I've ever gotten so many hits on a story in such a short amount of time... *is grateful***

**DISCLAIMER: ...don't own A-Team...**

**7**

Face sidled up to the bar and leaned against the wood, trying to look casual. He was in _Lloyd's_ – Hannibal wanted him to go in first, to check if Gavin was there. Gavin was sitting in a booth at the back with a slim blonde who looked young enough to be his mother.

Ordering a beer, Face checked the radio transmitter disguised as a button on his shirt. Hannibal, B.A., and Murdock were about a block away, ready to come bursting in once Face gave them the signal.

He was about to do just that when he overheard the conversation of the two men standing a few feet away.

"What're you grinnin' like an idiot for, Tony?" one of the men asked. Face realized these men must be Sickle and Jonas – the ones who had attacked Amy. He felt his hands clench into fists…

"I was just thinkin' about that purdy little thing we roughed up a couple weeks ago."

"Y'mean Allen's daughter?"

"That's the one." Sickle laughed coarsely. "I sure would love to get to know _her_ better, if ya catch my meanin'…"

The mens' raunchy laughter made Face's blood boil. They were talking about Amy – _his_ Amy – talking about her like she was an animal, a prize. He wasn't going to let that remark pass without retaliation…

Face had just started to turn towards the men when a large black-and-red van came crashing through the front wall of the bar.

The bar patrons all scrambled for cover as shards of glass and woods rained down. Face had to grin as Hannibal popped out from the skylight and Murdock and B.A. exited the front of the van, all three of them armed with machine guns.

"Howdy," Hannibal said casually. "Sorry to crash the party but we're looking for Mark Gavin. Which one of you lowlifes is him?"

Gavin angrily stepped forward. "I'm Gavin. Who the hell are you?"

"Never mind that," Hannibal said. "I understand you've been giving John Allen and his family a bit of trouble lately."

"What has that got to do with you?"

"Let's just say I'm an interested party." Hannibal paused to light a cigar. "Now, I'm gonna be brief. You are gonna leave the Allens alone from now on, or my buddies and I are gonna pay your ranch a little visit and put you permanently out of business."

"Now wait a minute," Gavin snapped, stepping forward. Hannibal fired a quick round of bullets into the floor in front of Gavin's feet, stopping the man in his tracks. Smiling a little, the Colonel said, "Well, I hate to leave this little soire but I'm a busy man. C'mon, Face."

The bar was silent as Face walked slowly to the van, pausing to shoot Sickle and Jonas a death glare. _I'm not finished with those two_, he thought as he climbed into the van and slid the door shut.

* * *

><p>"I was worried for a minute back there, Face," Hannibal said as B.A. sped through the streets of Louisville. "I overheard the…conversation between those two goons. I was afraid you might lose your temper…"<p>

"I almost did," Face said stonily.

"Judging by their egregiously deficient grasp of the English language," Murdock said in a British accent, "it seems reasonable to assume that Monsieurs Jonas and Sickle are both in possession of a tragically substandard intelligence quotient."

"Say what, fool?" B.A. snapped.

"They, like, dumber than a bag of hammers," Murdock said. He turned around in his seat. "So what's the deal now, Colonel?"

"Well," Hannibal began, lighting another cigar, "I figure our little ultimatum isn't gonna stop Gavin on its own. He'll probably retaliate within the next twenty-four hours or so…We'll have to be ready. Then we can pay him a call at his home and finish with him."

"Wait, wait, 'retaliate'?" Face repeated. "Hannibal, that could be dangerous for Amy. And her family," he added quickly.

"Not while we're around," Hannibal said. "Gavin's men would have to get past us to get at them." He patted Face's shoulder. "We'll look after her, Face. Don't worry. And who knows? This might be the spur that your relationship with Amy needs."

"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about, Hannibal," Face said carefully as Murdock and B.A. snickered in the front seat.

"You haven't exactly been subtle about your feelings, Face." Hannibal looked amused. "Frankly, we were surprised when you didn't make a move two years ago. A little disappointed, even."

Hannibal and Murdock were both watching Face closely, and B.A. kept casting glances at the Lieutenant in the rearview mirror. Face sighed, knowing he had better surrender.

"…Okay, guys," he said slowly. "You win. Yeah, I have feelings for Amy. I think I always have…But I never told her." He looked sternly around at his teammates. "And I'm not going to tell her."

"Why not?" Hannibal asked, curious.

"She has her life here, I have mine in L.A. She's got a career in journalism ahead of her, I'm on the run from the law. It'd never work out, no matter how much I wanted it to. So I'm not gonna tell her."

"Aww, Face, c'mon," Murdock said. "I bet B.A. five bucks you'd ask Amy out before we went back to L.A."

Face shook his head, exasperated. Couldn't he make his own decisions about his personal life without the rest of the Team butting in? Wasn't this his business?

Seemingly reading the Lieutenant's mind, Hannibal said, "Look, Face, it's not that we're trying to force you to do something you don't wanna do. But we aren't just gonna stand by and let you miss this opportunity, not when we can see that you and Amy are crazy about each other." He placed a hand on Face's shoulder and looked at him earnestly. "Don't write off the possibility of a relationship too soon, okay?"

Face sighed. "I'll think about it."

"Good." Satisfied, Hannibal changed topics. "Hey, guys, what say we stop at McDonald's for lunch?"

"Only if I get a toy with the Mighty Meal!" Murdock exclaimed while sticking his head out the open passenger window like a dog. "They're givin' away Hot Wheels!"


	8. Revelations

**8**

That night, the Team and the Allens were all sitting comfortably in the Allens' living room. Mr. and Mrs. Allen were playing cards with Hannibal and B.A., Murdock was putting together a three-hundred piece picture puzzle of a unicorn, Amy was helping her brother with his English homework, and Face was alternating between reading a book and casting surreptitious glances in Amy's direction. He loved watching her as she and Nicky laughed at some private joke, her beaming face seeming to light up the whole room. He could picture himself in a relationship with her so easily. Maybe even marriage. The thought of coming home to her every day made him smile silently…

_God, why can't it be that simple? _Face thought to himself. _Why can't I just be with her?_

Across the room, Amy was trying to concentrate on helping Nicky while her thoughts mirrored Face's. Every so often she would look over at him, wishing she could articulate what she felt for him. She was positive she was falling in love with him – _had_ been falling in love with him ever since they met. It explained the way she felt every time she saw him with another girl, every time he did something that implied that he thought of her as a friend, a sister-figure, not as a potential lover.

Maybe…maybe he was as confused about his feelings as Amy was about hers. Maybe they did have a chance.

Nicky finished his last bit of homework and switched on the TV, wanting to watch some cartoons before bed. Amy went and sat down on the sofa beside Face, not too close to him, but close enough. "Hey," she said quietly. "I'm gonna go for a walk. Want to come along?"

Face looked over at her, and her heartbeat quickened slightly at his gaze. He hesitated for a moment, than smiled that killer smile of his and said, "Love to."

As Face and Amy left the room, Face glanced back and saw Murdock giving him the "OK" hand gesture and winking exaggeratedly.

* * *

><p>"Your folks have a beautiful place," Face said as they strode slowly through the woods that lay on the edge of the Allens' property.<p>

Amy smiled. "Yeah, Dad's so proud of it. But I dunno, I miss the city. I'm not much of a country girl…" She grinned. "I guess that after working with you guys for so long, farming is pretty dull in comparison."

Face laughed. "At least you don't have the military following your every move."

She shrugged. "Okay, so not having MPs following me everywhere is a plus. But I miss the adrenaline rush I always got when we were getting chased or fighting, or when we pulled off a scam."

"The jazz?"

"The jazz." Casually – or as casually as she could manage – she linked her arm through Face's and said, "I think I miss the scams the most. We were a good team when it came to that, weren't we?"

"Probably because you're the only person who's as adept at lying as I am. Do your parents know about your devious nature?"

"Hey, I wasn't devious til I met you guys."

"A likely story."

As they laughed, they reached a clearing in the woods that was illuminated brightly by the full moon. Face couldn't help looking over at Amy, and was struck by how beautiful she looked in the moonlight, like something from a dream. _Why did it take me so long to figure this out? _he asked himself, mentally shaking his head. _She's so perfect for me, how could it have taken me so long to realize it?_

Amy sensed Face looking at her and returned his gaze. As brown eyes met blue, their gazes locked, and Amy knew she had to tell him what she was feeling. "Face, there's something I need to talk to you about…"

He stopped walking. "What is it?"

"There's…something that's been bothering me for a while now. I've thought and thought about it, I've turned my brain upside down over it, and I've basically come to the conclusion that…" She took a deep breath, knowing there was no turning back, and said, "I love you."

Face stared. For a long, long time, he didn't say anything. Amy held her breath until finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he said, "What did you say?"

Well, this wasn't going as planned. "I…I love you, Face. I think I have since we met, I was just too stupid to realize it. I always had feelings towards you that were different from the way I felt about anyone else. And seeing you again after all this time pretty much brought those feelings to the surface and made them clearer than I've ever seen them, and-"

She was cut short by Face fervently pressing his lips to hers.

It was like a scene pulled straight from a movie. A warm spark seemed to pass through Amy's entire body as she leaned into the kiss and wrapped her arm's around Face neck. The feel of his strong arms encircling her waist made her feel euphoric, and Amy would have been perfectly content to stay there, in Face's arms, forever.

When they pulled apart, Face had a broad smile on his face that warmed Amy's heart. In a whisper, he said, "I can't tell you how long I've been wanting to do that."

Slightly puzzled, she said, "Really? You mean…?"

"I mean that I've been in love with you since the first time I saw you. Never realized it until I saw you again. I think Murdock helped – he pretty much told me what I was feeling even though I was too confused to figure it out myself." He grinned. "The crazy guys are always the perceptive ones – must be all that therapy."

She laughed quietly and pressed her forehead to his, idly playing with his blonde hair. "If that's the case, I think I owe Murdock quite a lot."

"We'll never hear the end of this, y'know. They've been waiting for us to get together for over two years."

"So apparently everybody knew exactly what we felt, except us." Amy shook her head. "Nice of them to finally let us know."

Face took her hand and they started walking again. He couldn't believe he wasn't dreaming. Was this real? Had Amy really just declared that she loved him? It had to be a dream – nothing this perfect could ever happen to him.

Amy was smiling. "So tell me, something, Lieutenant. Why on earth did it take you so long to make your move?"

He sighed. "I've been wanting to since we got here, but…I wasn't sure how you'd react. And I knew that you had your life here, and that you had gotten used to _not_ being chased by the military. I didn't know if you'd want a relationship that involved your boyfriend always being on the run. Especially since you seemed so happy here." He gave a shrug. "To be totally honest, if you hadn't told me how you felt, I might never have made the move."

"Well, it's a good thing I'm so forward, isn't it? But I think you would have done it, regardless. Murdock would probably have asked me out for you, if he had to."

They both laughed, and Face pulled Amy back into him, gently kissing her again. When he pulled away, she said firmly, "Hey, I'm not done kissing you yet, Mister," and pressed her mouth against his. Face didn't pull away, and simply enjoyed the elation of holding Miss Amy Amanda Allen in his arms and knowing that she loved him as much as he loved her.

* * *

><p>As Amy and Face approached the ranch house, Mr. Allen came dashing outside. Face began to withdraw his hand from hers, not knowing if she wanted to let her father know about the development of their relationship, but Amy grabbed his hand back and tossed him a reassuring smile.<p>

The smile quickly vanished as Mr. Allen reached them and said, "Is Nicky with you?"

"No, Dad…Isn't he in bed?"

Mr. Allen shook his head breathlessly. "He snuck out a little while after you left. I think he wanted to join you on your walk or something. But we have no idea where he is now. Are you sure you didn't pass him on your way back?"

"Positive." Amy was gripping Face's hand tightly. "You don't suppose he got lost?"

"Considering all the time he spends in those woods? He wouldn't get lost in there if you blindfolded him…"

"Well, I can't think of any other explanation, unless…" Amy suddenly went pale. "Do you think…Gavin…?"

As if on cue, Mrs. Allen came running out of the house, calling, "John! Gavin just called! He's got Nicky!"

Mr. Allen grabbed his wife by the shoulders and said urgently, "Are you sure?"

"He made Nicky get on the phone…"

"What did he say? What does he want? Whatever it is, I'll give it to him…"

"He…he didn't make any demands," Mrs. Allen said, starting to cry. "He just said that he's got Nicky and that he'll be calling again in a little while to tell us what he wants. John…do something…don't let him hurt my little boy!" And she began to sob into her husband's shirt.

Face looked at Amy. She looked pale and a little frightened, but determined. He gave her a steady look and said, "I'll go talk to Hannibal. We'll get him back, I promise."

As he started towards the house, Amy came after him. "Face, whatever you and the guys are gonna do, please take me with you."

"Are you kidding? This is liable to be really dangerous, I don't want you getting hurt."

"I've been in plenty of dangerous situations with you guys before," she said stubbornly.

"Yeah, but…things are different now." He touched his hand to her cheek. "I promise, I'll get your brother back." Kissing her, he disappeared into the house.

* * *

><p>Amy pressed her ear to her bedroom door and could just make out the sounds of her father and the Team laying out their plan of attack. After putting her nearly-hysterical mother to bed, Amy had excused herself, saying she was exhausted and that she needed to sleep.<p>

She didn't want anyone to know what she was going to do. If they found out she was planning on going to Gavin's farm, alone, to rescue her brother, her father would undoubtedly stop her. And if he didn't, Face would. And nobody was going to keep Amy from going after Nicky.

Opening her window, she swung her legs over the sill and dropped softly onto the grass. Taking care not to be seen from the house, she made her way to the barn and went directly to Samson's stall. "Hey, boy," she said. "Tonight we're gonna see just how well I've trained you. We're going on a rescue mission."

It took Amy only a few minutes to get Samson saddled and bridled. She led him out of the barn, grimacing at the sound his hooves made against the gravel. Fortunately, though, nobody heard it, and they made it all the way to the end of the driveway without misadventure.

Taking a deep breath, Amy swung easily into the saddle. "Okay, pal," she murmured. "Let's get going."


	9. Another Hostage

**DISCLAIMER: Pshh, the Team is distracted, I can get away with not doing the disclaimer... *freezes as Hannibal turns around and aims machine gun* OK, fine. Idon'towntheATeam...**

**9**

Amy knew Gavin wouldn't be stupid enough to keep Nicky in the house – that was the first place anyone would look. The barns were a possibility, but not likely, as they were also obvious hiding places. _Lloyd's_ was another possible spot, but Amy decided Gavin would risk bringing Nicky into town.

She knew of a little hunting shack near the edge of Gavin's property – her horse had once bolted during a trail ride and she'd ended up on Gavin's land – and she figured that would be the most strategic place for Gavin to hide Nicky.

Urging Samson along through the unfamiliar woods, she hoped she was headed in the right direction. She realized she'd neglected to bring along any kind of a weapon. _That was brilliant of you,_ she said to herself.

A dim light ahead of her told her she'd found the shack. Dismounting, she tied Samson's reins to a low-hanging branch and crept stealthily forward. Her legs were trembling badly. Not surprising.

Coming to a halt behind a thick tree, Amy looked ahead at the shack. Through the window, she could see Jonas and a few other of Gavin's goons. Nicky was sitting in a chair in the corner, looking pale and scared.

At the sight of her terrified brother, Amy clenched her hands into fists. These guys were going to pay for kidnapping Nicky.

As Amy began to contemplate her next move, she felt strong hands grabbing her shoulders. "Well, now, what do we got here?" someone hissed into her ear. As the hands spun her around, Amy found that they belonged to Sickle. "If it ain't little Miss Allen come snoopin' around."

"I came for my brother," Amy said defiantly.

"I bet you did." He leered at her. "Well now, can't have you goin' and tellin' your pals where your brother is. Why don't you just come inside and visit for a little while?"

Sickle dragged Amy out of the woods and shoved her into the shack, saying, "Look what I found prowlin' around."

Nicky's eyes widened and he exclaimed, "Amy! What are you doing here?"

"Your big sis here decided she was gonna come rescue you," Sickle said, pushing Amy into the corner. "I think it's mighty neighborly of her to stop by and visit."

"Wish you'd let us know, Miss Allen," Jonas remarked. "We would've tidied up a little bit. Made ourselves presentable."

"The only way you'll ever look predictable is if you cut your faces off," Amy spat.

"Hey now, that's know way to talk to your hosts," Sickle said. He strode over and kicked Amy unceremoniously in the stomach, chuckling as she doubled over in pain, the breath knocked out of her. "You need to learn some manners, missie. I'd be happy to teach you some."

"I'm sure you would."

"Call Mr. Gavin," Sickle called over his shoulder. "Tell him we got an unexpected second hostage." He knelt down. His breath was hot on Amy's face as he said, "Meantime, I'm gonna take you outside and teach you how to behave yourself."

* * *

><p>Everyone jumped as the phone rang. Mr. Allen slowly picked it up and, putting it on speakerphone, said, "Hello?"<p>

The voice of Mark Gavin came onto the speaker. "Good evening, John. How've you been?"

"Gavin, damnit, if you hurt my son…" Mr. Allen took a deep breath.

"Your son's fine. For now."

"You won't get away with this."

"Actually, I think I will. You see, I've recently gained some unexpected added insurance."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, someone came around my place looking to rescue your son, and I think you'll be more cooperative when I tell you who it is."

Every member of the Team tensed as Mr. Allen asked, "…Who?"

"Your daughter."

Face sucked in his breath and gripped the edge of the table. "He's lying," he muttered. "Murdock, go check her room."

Murdock nodded and ran out of the kitchen.

Mr. Allen said, "I don't believe you, Gavin. My daughter is asleep in her room."

A moment later, Murdock came running back into the room, saying, "She's gone, guys. Must've snuck out the window."

On the phone, Gavin said, "I can prove it. Get her over here."

There was a rustling sound over the speaker and the sound of someone muttering. And then Amy's voice, saying, "Daddy? Daddy, whatever he asks for, don't listen to him…"

Face jumped to his feet. "Amy? Amy, are you all right?"

"Face? I'm…I'm fine. Nicky's fine too. We're- get off me!" There was the sound of a scuffle that could only be someone dragging Amy away from the phone.

Gavin's voice again. "They're fine for now, Mr. Allen. But that could change at any moment. Jonas and Sickle here are just dying to spend some quality time with your little girl here."

Face's fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles were chalk white. Every muscle in his body was absolutely rigid – Hannibal couldn't remember the last time he'd seen the Lieutenant so angry.

"Now," Gavin said, "are you gonna do what I want or no?"

"…Yes," Mr. Allen said, voice full of defeat. "Whatever you want, I'll do it. Just don't hurt my kids."

"Tell those pals of yours – the ones with the machine guns – to get the hell out've here. No more little raids like they pulled off at the bar. And I want your ranch shut down within a month. Go back on your word, and I'll pay a visit to your family and mess them up a little bit."

"All right...okay, Gavin, okay." Mr. Allen's voice was feeble. "Whatever you want."

"Good. When I'm satisfied you've done what I want, I'll let your kids go. I'll call back in an hour or so. Goodbye, Mr. Allen."

There was silence for several seconds after Gavin hung up. Finally, Face said, "We have to get them out of there. Now."

"I agree," B.A. said. "We gotta teach those mudsuckers they can't mess with people like this."

"No, please," Mr. Allen said. "Look, I don't want him to hurt my kids. I'll do what he wants…"

Solemnly, Hannibal said, "I understand how you feel, Mr. Allen, but if you give in to him, he'll just go on being a sleazeball to everybody. I'm positive we can get Amy and Nicky out of there without too much trouble. But we need your permission. Do you trust us to go save your kids?"

Mr. Allen took a deep breath. Finally he said, "All right. Do what you have to. Just get my kids back."

Face cracked his knuckles. "Believe me, Mr. Allen, we'll get them out of there."

_If they hurt Amy,_ Face thought, _I'll kill them…_


	10. Rescue

**10**

"Colonel, how we gonna find where they're holdin' Amy and her brother?" Murdock asked as they left the house.

"Gavin's got to be holding them somewhere on his property," Hannibal said. "It shouldn't take us too long to search it."

"What's the plan, Hannibal?" B.A. asked.

Hannibal gave a devious grin. "I have a little scheme in mind…But we have to find them first."

Murdock was staring out at the driveway. "Hey, Colonel, am I the only one who sees that horse comin' towards us?"

The others followed Murdock's gaze and saw Samson, saddled and bridled, cantering up the driveway. Murdock jogged over to meet him. "Hey, buddy, how'dja get out of the barn?" He looked at Hannibal. "D'you think maybe Amy could've ridden him over to Gavin's place?"

"It's a definite possibility," Hannibal said.

Murdock looked excited. "Colonel, d'you think he could take us to where Amy is?"

"You gotta be kiddin', Murdock," B.A. said. "A horse can't take us to where they're keepin' Amy. He's just a dumb horse!"

"Horses are very intelligent," Murdock said stiffly, rubbing Samson's nose. "He knew how to find his way home, didn't he?" He looked imploringly at Hannibal. "C'mon, Colonel, I know it'll work. I can ride Samson and you follow us."

Hannibal looked hesitant, but intrigued. Finally he said, "All right, Murdock. We'll get the guns and follow you on foot." Lighting a cigar, he said, "Let's get going, guys."

Murdock grinned and climbed into the saddle. "This is gonna be great. Samson and I make great partners. Just you wait, Colonel, he'll take us to Amy in a jiffy."

B.A. grumbled something about Murdock being a mudsucker on the jazz, but Hannibal was getting the machine guns and didn't hear him, and Face was so distracted he was only half-listening. He was too busy worrying about Amy. If she'd been hurt…

Hannibal tossed each of them a gun. "Move out, men. Lead the way, Captain."

Murdock gave a shout and touched his heels to Samson's side. "Let's go, boy!"

Samson began trotted slowly down the driveway, the others following him. Face gripped the barrel of his gun tensely. He was eager to get his hands on Gavin, and even more eager to get his hands on Jonas and Sickle. _Just hang on, Amy_, he thought. _I'm coming._

* * *

><p>Amy sat in the corner with Nicky on her lap. She tried to keep Nicky from looking at her bleeding nose and split lip – Sickle had given her a good working over, but she didn't want Nicky worrying about her. Anyway, she'd gotten quite a few good shots in herself. Sickle would be walking sore for a week after what she'd done with her knee, and he had double black-eyes forming on either side of his face.<p>

"Amy, what're they gonna do to us?" Nicky whispered.

"Hey, don't worry, honey," Amy whispered back. "The A-Team is going to come get us, I promise."

"How will they know where we are?"

"They were in the army, Nicky, they know how to find people," Amy said with more conviction than she felt. She honestly didn't know how the Team would find them, but she had confidence that they would.

Jonas, Sickle, and a couple other goons were at the table playing poker, while Gavin sat in an easy chair in the corner, smoking a cigarette. He looked quite pleased with himself.

Suddenly the sound of machine guns came from outside. Everyone in the cabin jumped to their feet. "What the…?" Gavin went to the window. "What the hell is that?"

"We'll go check it out, boss," Jonas said as he and Sickle grabbed their pistols. "Probably those clowns who crashed into _Lloyd's_ today."

Amy smiled to herself.

"Well, take care of them. If they don't leave we'll start roughing up their little pals here." He pulled a stool up to where Amy was sitting and took a switchblade out of his pocket. Amy instinctively positioned herself between Nicky and Gavin.

Yelling and gunshots came from outside. Sickle's voice, shouting something unintelligible. More gunshots.

After several minutes of this, it became apparent that the guys weren't leaving. Gavin exhaled impatiently and stood up. "Looks like they need some visual motivation," he said. "Come on, missie. You and your brother are coming outside with me."

Knife pressed to Amy's neck, he dragged them out of the hut. "All right, you bozos!" he yelled. "Drop your guns now or your lady friend here starts bleeding."

Amy saw Hannibal, B.A., and Face standing at the edge of the trees. Murdock was conspicuously absent. She tried to appear unafraid – she didn't want them knowing how scared she was – but it was hard to act confident with a knife against her neck.

"Drop 'em!"

Hannibal and B.A. complied. Face appeared to have completely frozen – even from a distance, Amy could see every muscle in his body tense. His face was rigid, his gun clutched tightly in his hands.

Gavin's grip on the knife tightened, and Amy felt the tip just start to pierce her skin. She pulled backwards, and that visual cue was enough to make Face drop his gun.

"You okay, kid?" Hannibal called.

"Never been better," Amy said, voice shaking a little. "What brings you guys here?"

"Shut up," Gavin said. He looked at the Team. "I know you guys heard what I told Allen. Why didn't you leave town?"

"We don't leave team members behind," Hannibal said.

"Pretty stupid of you, I'd say. But I'll let it slide if you leave right this second."

There was a tense moment of silence, as Hannibal considered their options. As he was about to give in, the sound of hoofbeats came from somewhere nearby.

A second later, Murdock, riding Samson and singing the William Tell overture, came bursting out through the trees, gun in hand. "The cavalry has arrived!" he yelled, firing a volley of shots at the ground in front of Jonas and Sickle's feet.

Samson reared up on his hind legs and kicked Gavin square in the face. Gavin stumbled backwards, dropping the knife. Amy grabbed it and said, "Nicky, get out of here."

The boy looked reluctant, but nodded and took off through the woods. Amy zeroed in on Sickle – after the beating she'd gotten, she was eager to pay him back in full. Tossing the knife aside, she propelled herself at the thug and landed a right hook square on his jaw.

"Why you little…" Sickle got to his feet and threw a wild blow in the direction of Amy's face, but she dodged easily. Sickle was about to launch his fist against when someone grabbed him from behind, spun him around, and landed a barrage of blows on his stomach.

Face.

As Sickle doubled over in pain, Face went immediately to Amy. "Are you okay?" he asked, his blue eyes searching hers. "Did any of them hurt you?"

"Nothing I can't handle – you guys taught me well." She looked over Face's shoulder. "Look, someone else wants to play."

Sickle was still down for the count, but Jonas was running at Face and waving a large tree branch over his head. Ducking, Face ran forward, head-butting Jonas and following up with a blow to the face.

Sickle started to get up, and Amy launched her foot at his stomach. "How does it feel when someone does it to you?" she spat.

"You're gonna pay for this, girlie," Sickle hissed, getting unsteadily to his feet. Amy smiled sweetly at him as she dodged the punch he threw at her, then grabbed the branch that Jonas had dropped and bashed Sickle over the head with it.

That put him out for good. He fell onto his back with a dazed look on his face before passing out.

Amy looked over just in time to see Face finishing up with Jonas. Beyond him, Hannibal, B.A., and Murdock had neatly taken care of the rest of Gavin and the rest of his goons.

Face looked at Sickle's unconscious form. "Not bad."

"I learned from the best." Amy went to him and embraced him tightly. "I knew you guys would show up – how did you find us?"

"Samson and Murdock," Face said into her hair.

"Samson?"

"Yeah, he came back to the farm, and Murdock got the idea to follow him back here. Gotta admit, it worked."

"What took him so long to get here?"

"Gunshots spooked Samson and he took off before Murdock could stop him."

"Well, I hadn't gotten around to the gunshot-toleration phase of his training yet."

Face laughed, but he tightened his hold on her. "I was so worried about you. Why on Earth did you come out here?"

"Came after my brother. I knew you'd stop me so I snuck out."

"You bet I would've stopped you." He placed his hands on either side of her face and said solemnly, "Don't ever scare me like that again, okay? If anything happened to you, I'd die."

"It's a promise." She smiled and kissed him lightly.

As their lips met, they heard Murdock exclaim, "B.A.! You owe me five bucks!"


	11. Conclusion

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks so much to everyone who took the time to review parts of this :) I really hope you all enjoyed it.**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own. Life sucks.**

**11**

"I don't know how to thank you fellas," Mr. Allen said, shaking Hannibal's hand. "With Gavin and his pals in prison, things are looking up for my business."

"It was a pleasure," Hannibal said.

"How much do I owe you?"

"Well, normally for a job like this, we'd charge…oh, roughly twelve hundred dollars, minus expenses," Hannibal said. "But for you guys, nothing. You're Amy's family and we're not going to charge you a cent."

"No, really, you deserve _something_…"

"I think we all got something. I got a few days of refreshing country air, B.A. got the pleasure of beating up a few more sleazeballs, Murdock got to spend a bunch of time with horses, and Face…" Hannibal glanced over at the porch of the house. Face was standing there, one arm wrapped around Amy's waist as she said good-bye to her mother and brother. "Face got something that I think he's wanted for a long time."

Amy and Face finished saying good-bye and came walking, hand-in-hand, over to the van, their faces beaming. Hannibal had to smile. He'd known from the beginning that someday, those kids would end up together.

"Keep in touch now, okay?" Mr. Allen said, hugging his daughter tightly.

"I will, Daddy, I promise." Amy kissed his cheek. "I'll let you know when I'm settled in L.A."

From the driver's seat, B.A. said, "Where's that fool, Murdock?"

"Saying good-bye to Samson," Amy said, smiling as Face wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her on the neck. "He should be out in a minute."

"He better be. Our plane takes off in twenty minutes." B.A. gave a disgruntled growl. "Don't know why we have to fly back anyway. What's wrong with driving?"

"Have you priced gasoline lately, B.A.?" Hannibal remarked. "Don't worry, we've got your sleeping pills packed."

B.A. gave another growl and honked the horn. "Murdock! Get out here!"

Murdock came dashing out of the barn, carrying something in his hands. As he reached the van, he held up the horseshoe he was holding. "Mr. Amy's Dad, I found this on the floor in the barn. Could I take it back to hang up in my room at the V.A.? It'll bring me real good luck."

Mr. Allen laughed. "Of course, Murdock. Take it and enjoy it."

Murdock grinned and climbed into the van, followed by Hannibal.

Face looked at Amy. "You're sure you want to go?"

She smiled and nodded. "Positive."

Nicky came dashing over and wrapped Amy in a large hug. "Can I come with you, Amy? Please?"

Laughing a little, Amy knelt down. "Well, no, honey…You need to stay here and take care of Mommy and Daddy. They need someone to look after them while I'm gone. Okay?"

Nicky looked unsure. "I wanna go with you, Amy…"

"Look, when you're a little older, you can come spend some time in L.A. with me, okay? Until then, be a big boy and look after Mom and Dad."

"And take good care of Samson," Murdock called from inside the van.

Nicky's face broke out into a grin. "Okay." He kissed Amy on the cheek. "Bye, Amy."

"See ya, kiddo." Amy tousled her brother's hair. Looking at Face, she said, "I'm ready to go."

Face helped her into the van and climbed in after her, sliding the door shut behind him. He sat down beside Amy and took her hand in his. She rested her head comfortably on her shoulder, completely ignoring the fact that Hannibal was watching them with an amused grin on his face. In the front seat, Murdock and B.A. were arguing over whether or not the horseshoe was actually lucky. Amy sighed contendedly, glad to be surrounded by her old friends.

As the van pulled out of the driveway, Face started laughing. The others looked at him curiously. "What're you so happy about?" Hannibal asked.

"Well, sir…as much as I hate to steal your line…I love it when a plan comes together." With that, he bent over and kissed Amy passionately.

As he pulled away, she whispered in a voice too low for anyone but him to hear, "So do I, Lieutenant. So do I."


End file.
